The football marketing blog

Football Naming Rights Report 2011

Hi all,Naming right in football is an effective way to generate additional revenues for clubs and a fantastic marketing platform for the rights owners. SPORT+MARKT released the Naming Rights Reports 2011, and below are the key learnings.

Development of the volume of naming rights to first and second tier football venues as well as national team stadia in Europe (in € Million).

Income from naming rights sponsorship in European professional football has increased to EUR 78 million per year in 2010. This analysis includes sponsorship of first and second tier venues as well as the home stadia of national teams. The market volume is expected to increase to EUR 87 million this year.

For the first time in European naming rights history, this growth is not only fuelled by club football but also by national federations. The new national stadium in Ireland (Aviva Stadium, opened in May 2010), and the Swedish Swedbank Arena, scheduled to open in 2012, constitute prime examples of this development.

However, club football still accounts for the lion’s share of the market. New stadia are built every year and new naming rights contracts are signed regularly. The naming rights of the Türk Telekom Arena, the new home of Galatasaray SK, and the planned future ground of Panathinaikos FC, Marfin Stadium, are the major examples of this on-going development.

Top 4 markets by revenue from naming rights to first and second tier football venues as well as national team stadia (in € Million)

Germany and England spearhead the list of naming rights markets, but other major European football nations are rarely represented among the largest naming rights markets. Instead, smaller leagues have developed the sponsorship tool in their countries. The best example is provided by the Dutch market, with 18 naming rights deals in the two top flights, representing total volume of EUR 5 million.

Focusing on the number of deals in the domestic leagues, Germany and the Netherlands also appear at the top of the ranking, followed by England.

This situation also reflects the stadium landscape in Europe. Naming rights engagements are often implemented during the course of construction of a new stadium or refurbishment, as this change can be used to increase acceptance among supporters. Traditional names to venues are firmly anchored in the fan scene and are a very emotional subject for many supporters, meaning that changes can provoke opposition and protests.

Consequently, countries with a more modern stadia infrastructure, such as Germany, England or the Netherlands, tend to have a higher affinity to naming rights.